The latest 007 adventure will star Daniel Craig for the third time. Leading ladies have been confirmed as French actress Berenice Marlohe and Naomie Harris.

Skyfall is being directed by Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar for 1999's American Beauty.

Mendes said the storyline will take the secret agent to London, China, Turkey and Scotland.

It will see Bond's loyalty tested to M, his superior, while espionage headquarters MI6 faces an attack.

The movie, which sees the return of Dame Judi Dench as spy boss M, will also star Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Javier Bardem as the villain of the piece.

It will be released in the UK on 26 October 2012.

Craig told reporters in London that the cast would start filming sequences for the new movie later on Thursday.

Much speculation about the new film has focused on what Mendes will bring to the franchise, with some suggesting he will tone down - or even abandon altogether - the action sequences.

But the director denied that this was the case. He told reporters in London that the "fantastic script" had "all the elements of a classic Bond movie, including - to quell any rumours - lots of action".

When asked what fans could expect from the latest film, he added: "The movie will reveal everything, and there's lots of surprises."
Producer Barbara Broccoli said no-one had yet been chosen to write and perfom the Bond theme tune.

Financial troubles

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Bond movie, 1962's Dr No.

James Bond is one of the longest-running franchises in film history, but Bond 23 will mark the end of a four year gap.
The last 007 outing was in 2008's Quantum of Solace, directed by Marc Forster.

Work on the 23rd film was suspended in April 2010 because of uncertainty over the company's future.

The franchise had been on hold amid financial troubles, with MGM filing for bankruptcy protection last November.

A rescue deal and restructuring plan put US firm Spyglass Entertainment at the helm of MGM, which had struggled due to several box office flops and a DVD sales slump.

Craig - who made his Bond debut in Casino Royale in 2006 - is the sixth actor to play the British secret agent in the official Bond series.
Sir Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Sir Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan preceded him in the iconic role.

Casino Royale, was the most successful instalment in the franchise's 49-year history, making $594m (£385m) worldwide.

Love that guy. He is not as tongue in cheek as Connery and Moore. Dalton and Brosnan were failures. Craig is just a bad ass.

Connery's Bond made one or two smart quips per movie. Otherwise he played the role quite seriously while Moore clowned it up. There was no "tongue in cheek" about Connery as Bond. No comparison at all.

And Dalton is my 2nd best Bond ever and was in two of my favorite 007 movies. EON just did not give him a fair shake.

As for Craig, bad ass alone does not Bond make. He does not look the part at all. I hated Moore's clown-Bond, but craig's chip-on-the-shoulder-Bond is fast running its course. We get it. He is angry! Time to loosen up a bit.... Sheesh!

Connery was not very tongue in cheek at all. Moore and Lazenby, on the other hand, were comic buffoons.

I have no problems with Craig. I wouldn't put him up with Connery - who was so good Ian Fleming changed the character to be more like him - but he captures the meanness and the ruthlessness of the character really well.

Connery's Bond made one or two smart quips per movie. Otherwise he played the role quite seriously while Moore clowned it up. There was no "tongue in cheek" about Connery as Bond. No comparison at all.

And Dalton is my 2nd best Bond ever and was in two of my favorite 007 movies. EON just did not give him a fair shake.

As for Craig, bad ass alone does not Bond make. He does not look the part at all. I hated Moore's clown-Bond, but craig's chip-on-the-shoulder-Bond is fast running its course. We get it. He is angry! Time to loosen up a bit.... Sheesh!

If it's not apparent, I was never a big fan of the Roger Moore James Bond movies. Part of the reason I rank Dalton so high is due to the fact he wasn't Roger Moore. Don't get me wrong, I liked Moore in other things - he'll always be Simon Templar, but some it seemed like the poor plots were just vehicles for stunts and funny spy gadgets. The Craig Bonds have been very refreshing. The gadgets aren't gadgets at all, and the plots have a more realistic feel to them.

Can't wait for this movie. I remember way back when Casino Royale first came out, I thought it was the worst movie ever! Turned it off during the first Poker scene. I decided to give it another chance a few years later and realized it was a great ****ing movie.

My friends, and apparently a lot of other people, think Quantum of Solace was a big pile of shit but I liked it. Not as much as Casino Royale, but I thought it was a good flick.

As far as Bonds go, my fave was always Connery. Idk why, for sure, but I always liked his movies the best. Pierce Brosnan has the most 'Bond-ish' look to me but his movies blew balls. None of the other Bonds are even worthy of mention to me; they're all just 'meh'. Especially either Roger Moore or Timothy Dalton. I can't remember which one, but MAN! That dude is a bore!

I'd put Craig up at the top with Connery. None of the others even matter.

Can't wait for this movie. I remember way back when Casino Royale first came out, I thought it was the worst movie ever! Turned it off during the first Poker scene. I decided to give it another chance a few years later and realized it was a great ****ing movie.

My friends, and apparently a lot of other people, think Quantum of Solace was a big pile of shit but I liked it. Not as much as Casino Royale, but I thought it was a good flick.

Eh, I can't really argue with that. I know that it was pretty universally panned by critics and people alike. No one I know really thinks it's above average. I probably just like it because it's a Bond film and I think James Bond is the coolest mother****er out there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Quantum of Solace is great if you treat it as what it actually was: the extended final act of Casino Royale.

Never thought about it, but this is a great way to put it. Casino Royale's far less exciting conclusion..

I think Layer Cake got Craig the role of Bond and I couldn't be happier. Best Bond ever, IMO.

__________________
ZootedGranny:

"That's the reason my FFL team name is TrentGreenLeadBlock. When you see this mother****er coming around the corner on a block, put your children to bed and batten down the hatch on your girl's snatch, because the same power that destroys defenders can scar the minds of the youth and simultaneously impregnate any woman within sight, live or on television."